The Genius of “Legally Blonde”

When this film came out, I thought it was good lightweight fun – with some mildly disturbing stereotypes not worth worrying about. After rewatching it on TV the other night, I’m starting to think it’s a masterpiece of gender and class dialectics.

It actually bothered me even more this time, perhaps because my daughters are now 10 and 13, alternately trying on and resisting their emerging femininity. As my wife and I discussed why it bugged me, though, I realized that the film was uncovering and probing a lot of my own stereotypes and judgments about girlyness.

The genius of Legally Blonde is that it fully embraces the silliness of certain girly trappings while communicating their fun – and quietly observing that guy trappings just might be every bit as silly. Yes, Elle Woods spends an awful lot of obsessive energy and intelligence mastering arcane details of fashion and makeup. But is it any more “serious” to master indie rock, video games (which my daughters love, by the way), or football strategy? No one calls a young guy dumb for spending his free time on these.

Without dipping into feminist jargon or preaching in any way, Legally Blonde (directed by a man, written by two women) illustrates how the things men like are considered the norm (and important), while femininity is treated as exotic and frivolous.

Yet science demonstrates that in physical terms at least, women are the norm. The XY chromosome is not enough to create male genitalia; it just (usually) triggers male hormones that do that. With intersex conditions such as CAIS, PMDS, and 5-ARDS, the lack of hormonal effects leaves XY individuals with vaginas and clitorises. In other words, females are the real normal, and males are the variant -- a hormone-triggered mutation, you could even say.

It’s true that the film makes one deft, if statistically unlikely starting assumption: that an insanely privileged white girl from Bel Air could be totally obsessed with the most expensive designer clothes and cosmetics without harboring an ounce of superiority toward those who can’t afford or appreciate these luxuries. Even that now looks to me like a clarifying master stroke.

Elle is basically Cinderella in reverse, as my wife observed. She shows that, with a pure enough heart, a girl can overcome all the advantages of wealth, beauty, blondness and boobs to remain humble, smart and true to herself. No matter what the boys think.

Just a Cotton-Pickin' Minute Here

I liked the title of your last post, honey, BUT you were only half right in how you characterized me (and even Shirky, who goes further than I do). Specifically:

>>They claim women won't achieve the success we want without tooting our horn
Yes absolutely.

>>and cheating.
No. I didn't say or mean that.

>>We need to boast
Yes absolutely

>>and even lie about our capacities and accomplishments
I didn't say lie. Shirky did, but he means a yes to "can you handle this job?" when you're not sure. That's not really a lie in my view; more of a gamble, and a responsibility to scramble and make your bold statement true.

>>Bravado yields recognition, promotion and big bucks.
Absolutely. Do you disagree? Do you have a plan for changing this?

>>Isn't this what's known as selling one's soul?
No. It's confidence -- the same confidence women always say they want in the men they date. If you have two job applicants with equal qualifications, and one is confident they can handle it while the other isn't, which would you choose?

I don't like arrogance, self-promotion, and relentless drive to get ahead. But as Shirky says, these traits are very common among successful people. You may say that many people including you (and possibly more women than men) would rather not succeed than become that obnoxious. Fine. But then you can't complain that women don't make as much money, rise to the tops of organizations, etc.

Is that what you want?

You Were Right, Honey

Back in June 2009, Mark posted an entry encouraging women to be more like men: Women Need to be More Evil. Today I found a post on Clay Shirky's blog that maintained the same Rant About Women.

They claim women won't achieve the success we want without tooting our horn and cheating. We need to boast and even lie about our capacities and accomplishments in order to get noticed. Bravado yields recognition, promotion and big bucks.

Isn't this what's known as selling one's soul?

Seeking images to illustrate this post I found a thought-provoking engraving. The rungs of the ladder are carved with fine qualities: industry, temperance, prudence and such, framed by morality and honesty. Not everyone dares climb, only the men will even consider it, and only one man in the group is actually taking the first step. Notice the young boy encouraged to pay attention as the ladies look on.

I admire the qualities that are reflected on this ladder; I only wish there was a woman poised to take her turn. These are qualities that can be shared by all. But clearly, it's an old picture, reflecting a different social and economic reality.

What's interesting now is that women are outpacing men in college registration. What might emerge could be a South African-kind of imbalance, where the minority rules the majority, that is, a few educated men dominate in positions of authority over the greater numbers of educated women.

My hope, my practice and my recommendation is that we all climb with integrity, never stooping. It is the foundation of morality, that which yields success for society. Perhaps that's the true problem, our definition of success is based on the advancement of the individual, not the community.

In my search for images, none showed multiple ladders...

Afghan Throw

I haven't written anything on this blog in several months, but am compelled to post a link to an essay (which maybe 2 years old, I don't know, its source seems to be) on the current plight of the women of Afghanistan.

According to the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), a project the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:

Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies during childbirth
87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate
30 percent of girls have access to education in Afghanistan
1 in every 3 Afghan women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence
44 years is the average life expectancy rate for women in Afghanistan
70 to 80 percent of women face forced marriages in Afghanistan

What's worse is that these are considered improvements...